The present invention is directed to providing a protective repository for a tag and its associated tag string tab and a method for using the same.
The collection of plush dolls has become a major business in which plush dolls can sell for thousands of dollars. Currently, a successful line of plush dolls appealing to collectors is the Beanie Babies.TM. collection distributed in the United States by Ty Inc. These dolls come with a side-truncated heart shaped tag, announcing the status of the doll as one of the Beanie Babies.TM. and providing the specific toy name. This tag is retained by a plastic tag string having a tab at a first end, extending through an opening in the tag and through the plush doll and expanding for retention by the doll at a second end.
The condition of the side-truncated heart shaped tag is one of the principal pricing determinants of a plush doll on the retail market. The marring of a tag can, therefore, result in a large monetary loss for the owner of a rare plush doll. Unfortunately, for the plush doll owner who wishes to protect his investment, the options for protecting tags are quite limited. A soft sleeve is available, but does not offer protection against bending. A hard plastic case having two hinged heart shaped sides is available, but suffers from a number of serious shortcomings. First, there is no accommodation for the tab. This means that in putting the tag into the case and closing the case, the doll owner risks the very harm he is trying to avoid: marring the tag, in this case by having it bent and crushed by the tab. Second, there is no structure to guide the user in placing the tag into the case. Hence, the user must be very careful to align the tag into the case before closing the case or risk catching a portion of the tag between the mating rims of the two case halves when the case is closed, thereby damaging the tag. Finally, the case has no latching mechanism, relying on the stiffness of the hinge to keep the case shut after it is closed. This does not provide very reliable protection. In addition, the use of a stiff hinge material tends to result in hinge deterioration and eventual breakage after the case has been opened and closed a few times.